The Snows of Chance
by kappie01
Summary: The first Naruto movie with my OC in it. How will Araile survive a crazy-filled adventure in snow?
1. Chapter 1

**This was a request from the lovely TheLightFairyHearts. I hope you enjoy the first instalment! As usual I don't own Naruto.**

Chirping birds echoed all around the 9 year old as she walked through the streets of a small village, an irritated look on her face. A pout was plastered on Araile's lips as she passed the many vendors and shops of the small village. She came with Kakashi and Team 7 to the small village a little ways outside of Konoha, and this was exciting for Araile: she had never been outside Konoha before.

The excitement was short-lived when Kakashi told her that she couldn't go with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke to the movies. It apparently had something to do with a new mission. This upset the girl greatly. It wasn't fair! Why couldn't she watch the movie too? Why could only Team 7 see it?

With a small ' _hmpf_ ' Araile turned the corner and stopped suddenly, feline ears twitching. It sounded like….horses? She didn't know horses were here!

With a smile, Araile followed the sounds of horse hooves to a small alley and stopped with a confused look on her face. There were horses, but also men sitting on the ground, their hands tied behind their backs. Araile walked up to one of the tied men and poked at his armour. It echoed with a small ' _tink_ ' as her fingernail hit it. With a confused head tilt, she looked at Sasuke and Sakura, who stood there proud.

"What happened?" she asked as she continued poking the armour.

"Nothing we couldn't handle" Sasuke said with a smirk, Sakura nodding behind him.

Araile grew even more confused as she returned to poking the armour. Her tail twitched in amusement as the sun hit the armour and she saw her reflection becoming distorted. Giggling, Araile moved her face closer and farther away from the reflective armour. A sigh echoed from above them, and Araile looked up with her ears twitching.

Kakashi kneeled on top of one of the wooden beams that surrounded the area. As he asked the two genin about what happened, Araile turned back to her entertainment. Who knew a piece of metal could be so entertaining?

An idea came to the 9 year old, and she poked her fingernail on a different part of the armour, and was rewarded with a deeper sound. Tail twitching in amusement, she continued to poke and prod different areas as she tried to find different sounds.

A whoosh of air flowed by her, and a hand grasped the back of her shirt and pulled her back as all the ropes were cut from the soldier's wrists. Her ears lowered in annoyance when Kakashi kept a firm grasp on the back of her shirt as he helped a man up. Araile gazed at the man in confusion. Why was this man in regular clothes and not in armour like the others? Her curiosity peaked even more when Kakashi gave a short bow to the man after helping him up.

Was this man important or something?

As Kakashi introduced the man as their client for their next mission, Araile looked around suddenly. Where was Naruto?

Was he lost?

Araile squirmed out of her caretaker's grasp and skipped to stand beside Sakura as the two men talked. Soon, the group walked to a large building that had many different things. Araile looked around with amazement as people ran to and fro between rooms, yelling at each other or moving heavy equipment. Sakura, Sasuke and Araile sat down on chairs as the man started talking about an actress.

The 9 year old couldn't pay attention to much of the details as many other things held her attention. She swivelled her body back and forth as she followed the busy activity. Large sets being rolled by people went from one place to the next. Cameras and materials were being carried by big burly men, while some people rehearsed lines in a nearby corner. Hammering could be heard from outside as Araile gazed around the room with wide eyes. A squeal from Sakura caused Araile's ear to twitch, and she turned around in her chair to face the group of people.


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope you all enjoy the second chapter of this fanfic. As usual, I only own my OC and not Naruto.**

"No spring ever?" Sakura asked after the director talked about their movie.

As soon as Kakashi confirmed, the old director turned to the Jonin with a critical eye.

"I heard this is not the first time you've been in the Land of Snow" the director said.

The Jonin shifted, and Araile looked at her caregiver. She never knew he went there before. She would have to ask him about it later.

"That was a long time ago" he murmured, causing Araile to tilt her head in confusion.

Why did he sound so sad? Her ear twitched when she heard movement behind their chairs, and she turned her head around.

Some older men stood behind her chair and one of them gave both girls a large smile, making Sakura squeal even more. Apparently these guys were actors in the movie Team 7 saw. Araile snorted and swivelled around in her chair again, continuing to look around at the busy set. Who needed to listen to some boring mission when there were lots to see here!

The director talked on and on, and the 9 year old started to become bored. The tip of her tail twitched as she gazed at her nails, picking here and there. Hopefully the director would stop talking and they could get on with the mission. Her ear twitched when someone came running up to the group and through his pants, said they had located Yukie. Araile gazed at the man in confusion. Who was Yukie? Was she the one that they were guarding? Why were they looking for her?

The man who brought them here, Sandayu, immediately sprang to his feet and ran out the door. Araile blinked in confusion as Kakashi followed at a slower pace. Sakura and Sasuke followed, and Araile ran to catch up.

They ran until they came up to a darkened bar, the smell of alcohol wafting through the windows. Araile skid to a stop and scrunched her nose as the smell hit her. It made the 9 year old sick to her stomach as Sakura and Sasuke followed their sensei inside. Her ears twitched when she heard Kakashi and Sandayu inside, followed by a dull ' _thump_ '.

The group came out with Kakashi carrying an unconscious woman. He must have used the sharingan on her. Araile peeked at the woman's face as they started their trek back to the movie set. So this was Yukie that ran away.

' _She's very pretty_ ' Araile thought to herself with wide eyes.

Her ear twitched as something rustled behind them in the bar entrance, and she turned her head towards the bar entrance. Something, or someone, was dressed in black and hiding in the shadows and watching them. The hair on the back of Araile's neck stood up, but before she could do anything she heard Sakura calling her name. Araile turned back towards the bar entrance, but blinked when the shadowy figure was gone. Shrugging her shoulders, she ran to catch up with the small group. They were on their way to board a boat, and the 9 year old felt the stirrings of excitement inside her stomach. They were going on an adventure!

As they approached the large ship, a large smile grew on her lips. It was huge!

She ran up the plank and onto the deck, eyes and mouth wide in amazement. She had never seen anything like this in her life. She continued looking around as Kakashi put the unconscious Yukie in her room. The movie backgrounds started to come onto the ship, and Araile hopped onto one of the planks of wood that lined the deck to watch the action.

Men and women ran to and fro up and down the ship and between the movie set and ship. Her ear twitched as Sakura sat beside her to watch the action as well. She turned and gave the genin a small smile; Sakura was like an older sister to her. After a couple minutes of watching the fury of activity, Araile began to feel tired. Her eye lids started to feel heavy, and she let out a large yawn. Araile leaned her head against Sakura's shoulder as sleep claimed the 9 year old. It had been a long day for her, and Araile was grateful for Sakura to let her sleep on her shoulder.

Sakura smiled gently at the young girl who was sleeping on her shoulder and wrapped an arm around the 9 year olds shoulder. A sigh sounded from in front of the two girls, and Sakura looked up at her sensei standing in front of them.

"You should get some sleep, Sakura" Kakashi said, and moved to gently remove his slumbering charge from his genin.

Sakura nodded and wandered away to the rooms below the deck. Kakashi sighed again and situated the sleeping-Araile in his arms. Her small hands clutched at his vest as Kakashi went below deck to his room. Somewhere deep inside the Jonin knew this would be a dangerous and large mission. His visible eye looked down at Araile's sleeping face as he situated her on a small bed in the room.

He was in charge of Araile and didn't want her to come on this mission, but the 9 year old begged the Jonin. After awhile he gave in, and a little voice in his brain was saying this was a bad idea. Kakashi sighed and rubbed the back of his head. Araile was different than any other child in Konoha, and her well-being was his responsibility.


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope everyone enjoys chapter 3! As usual, I don't own Naruto.**

The gentle rocking of the waves against the boat kept Araile in a dreamless sleep as the ship continued sailing. Some gulls started crying in the sky as they soared above the ship, and their cries zeroed into her sensitive feline ears. Her ears gave a faint twitch, and with a groan Araile rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head.

One eyelid slowly opened and closed as sunlight streamed through the small window. The rocking beckoned her to come back to dreamland, and Araile gave in willingly. She pulled the blankets around her chin tightly as cool air came into the room, waking the 9 year old little by little.

Araile shivered slightly and turned over again, trying to fall back asleep. This time, both eyes opened and with a grumble she sat up.

Yawning, Araile rubbed her eyes and wiggled over to the side of the bed to get out. A sudden large shout sounded, and Araile yelped in surprise as she jumped up. Her foot became tangled in the sheet and she fell to the floor in a pile of blanket, sheet and pillows. With a groan, the 9 year old lay on the cold floor.

Maybe she could sleep on the floor?

The cold began to seep into her clothes as she continued lying on the floor, and with a sigh Araile got up. She pulled on a pair of black pants and a purple shirt, along with a dark blue jacket that she had brought with her. Her tail twitched as she climbed up the stairs to go on deck. Cold air hit Araile's face as she walked on deck, and her eyes grew wide as she saw the movie crew setting up a movie scene. A smile stretched wide over her lips as she watched the crew scurrying back and forth and yelling to others. She spotted Team 7 and skipped over to them. She plopped down beside Sakura and watched with wide eyes as she saw the woman, Yukie, having her makeup done.

"She's really pretty" Araile murmured as the director began to film.

"She's a famous actress" Sakura told her as they watched Yukie begin her scene.

"Really?!" Araile asked as she turned to the pink-haired genin with shocked wide eyes.

They were guarding an actress? Why didn't Kakashi say so! This was so exciting! Araile wiggled with excitement as she watched Yukie act, but that excitement quickly died down when the actress began demanding things and stopping the scenes halfway through. Araile crossed her arms with a small pout as she watched Yukie stop yet another scene.

Yukie wasn't exciting at all! She was acting like a spoiled child!

Araile stood up and began wandering around the deck soon after. There was nothing really exciting about watching a spoiled actress. She walked to the railing and put her arms on top, and rested her chin on top of her arms. Gold eyes stared out at the ocean as gulls cried overhead. The waves crashed against the side of the ship, and the spray splattered along the wooden side. The sea was endless! A cold wind whipped around her and tugged at her white and black hair, causing Araile to let out an annoyed noise.

A sudden shout caused her ear to twitch, and Araile turned to see the assistant director panicking. She ran over to the group to see what the matter was, and skidded to a stop when she saw what loomed in their way.

This was probably the biggest glacier she had ever seen in her entire 9 years of life! She looked towards the director as he suddenly shouted out loud. The director ordered everyone onto the glacier and to film there. Araile giggled as she stepped onto the snowy side of the glacier.

Her feet sunk into the snow, and she reached down to scoop up a handful of it. She laughed as she threw her handful of snow into the air, causing everyone to either sigh or laugh at her childishness.

"She's never seen snow before" Araile heard Kakashi say to Sandayu.

The 9 year old didn't care for the other man's reply as she continued playing in the snow. As the director ordered everyone to their places, her ears caught the sound of something shuffling. It was a weird sound, and Araile immediately stopped throwing snow. Her ears swivelled back and forth, trying to catch what she had heard before. She walked around the edge of the movie set, ears still moving back and forth. Her tail gave a small twitch under her coat. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she heard it again, this time closer to one of the actors playing the villain. What was going on? She had never heard this type of sound before. Her head snapped up when her ears caught a faint ' _click_ ', and the top of the glacier exploded in a plume of thick grey smoke.

A cold laugh echoed through the snow, and Araile felt a hand on the back of her coat. Blinking, she found herself placed behind her caregiver as Team 7 surrounded the actors. Three people emerged from the snow with metal uniforms, and Araile felt her caregiver tense in front of her. She looked up at him in confusion. Why was he tense? Araile tilted her head in confusion when Kakashi ordered the entire movie production back to the ship, to which they complied.

"Araile, I want you to go too" he said, looking down at his charge.

Araile nodded, and began running back to the ship. She stopped when she noticed Yukie staring at the fire with a fearful expression.

"Yukie? Come on, we have to go" Araile said, and jumped in surprise when Yukie yelled out and clutched her head.

Araile chewed her lip as she struggled to figure out what to do. Her ear twitched when something whistled and came hurtling towards them. She jumped quickly in front of the shaking actress as a claw-like hand raced towards them and latched onto the 9 year old. She bit her lip in pain, but it quickly went away as Sakura cut her free. She gave Sakura a large smile and quickly grabbed Yukie's shirt. Araile pulled the actress hard, and inch by inch they made it to the ship. A shadow loomed over them, and Araile turned and gasped as she saw two large whales made out of water crash into each other, obliterating the glacier. Araile cried out and clung onto the railing as the waves slammed into the ship, and sent it hurtling far out onto the sea.

"That was brilliant!" Araile heard when the waves calmed down.

She hesitantly opened her eyes to see everyone soaked but in one piece on deck. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Team 7 there as well, and skipped over to Kakashi. He smiled with his visible eye and placed a hand on her head, causing Araile to smile back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy 1st of May everyone! I hope your May isn't as grey and rainy as it is here for me. Here is chapter 4, and I want to shout out to TheLightFairyHearts and Emzy2k11 for reviewing, favouriting and following. You both are amazing :) As usual, I don't own Naruto.**

Araile yawned for the umpteenth time as she sat on the deck. The ship had been sailing away from the small battle for hours, and the 9 year old was getting quite bored. She wanted the ship to hurry up and sail faster so they could get to the Land of Snow, wherever that was. Araile bit her lip as she got up from sitting on deck and walked towards the stairs to go below deck.

Why would those people in the weird metal suits attack them? Did they want Yukie? If they did…why? What did she do to them? It didn't make sense to her.

Araile walked down the stairs and began walking to her room to get warmer clothes when her ears caught the sounds of talking. It came from behind a closed door, and she placed one feline ear against it. Kakashi was there, along with Team 7, the director, the assistant director and Sandayu. It sounded like the director was scolding Sandayu about Yukie, causing a scowl to etch itself on Araile's lips as she continued listening.

She liked Sandayu! He was quiet and reserved, but really nice to her.

She grabbed the doorknob and barged in with an annoyed look on her face, ears flat on her skull.

"Hey! Don't yell at Sandayu! He's my friend" Araile yelled as she marched up to the director as he sat in his seat.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed the back of his head, muttering a quick apology for his charge's behaviour. Araile glared at the director as he continued sitting in his chair and didn't make a move to show that he heard her. Sandayu murmured to Kakashi, but Araile didn't pay attention to him. Her gold eyes continued glaring into the sunglasses of the director, and after a couple minutes he let out a loud laugh.

"You have a lot of spunk kid! I like that" he said with a toothy grin before reaching over and ruffling her hair.

Araile pulled away with an annoyed noise and stomped back to where Kakashi was, grumbling and fixing her hair the entire time. Her ear twitched when Kakashi sighed again, but Araile was too annoyed with the director to say anything. Araile's ears twitched when Sandayu began speaking, and she raised her head immediately when the quiet man said that Yukie was a princess. Naruto scoffed at that, but Kakashi corrected his student. Her mouth opened in astonishment and awe as Sandayu explained about the past of Yukie-now Koyuki Kazahana. Her gold eyes lit up when he told of the Lord's love for his daughter, and how he spent hours tinkering with gadgets.

Araile's tail twitched slightly as she absorbed Sandayu's words. A shiver ran down the 7 year olds spine when he spoke about the revolt of the Lord's brother, and how the castle burned down. She felt a cold pit in her stomach as Sandayu spoke of how they thought they had lost their princess. All that time…and here she was.

Araile's head snapped up when Yukie came in, and the fur on her tail rose in anger as Yukie began to berate Sandayu. She fully intended to give the woman a piece of her mind and took a step towards the princess-turned-actress, but Kakashi grabbed the back of her shirt in a firm grip. She struggled to get out of his grip as Sandayu kowtowed towards the cold-hearted woman and begged her, but to no avail. Yukie scoffed at the desperate man and Kakashi finally released Araile, and she immediately went to Sandayu, helping him off the ground.

Team 7 declared that they would guard them until they reached their destination, and the director declared it as part of the movie. Araile gave Sandayu a small smile, which he returned but it didn't reach his eyes. When everyone cheered, Araile glanced at the stoic actress standing in the doorway. She didn't look too happy about the decision at all.

Soon, the ship came into a small port, and everyone unloaded into vans. Araile marvelled at the scenery as they rode through the swerving paths. Snow was everywhere! On the ground, on the trees and even falling from the clouds. A large smile spread across her face as she and Naruto both crowded the window, pointing out everything. A call to stop was made, and the vans stopped in front of a large cave. Araile peered inside nervously as the movie crew scrambled to get everything ready. It seemed incredibly dangerous to the 9 year old, especially with sharp icicles gleaming from the ceiling of the cave.

She backed away from the mouth of the cave, and wandered around the vans as crew and costumes were running around. Another call was made, and it seemed like the director wanted to film on the other side of the cave. Amid the grumbles of the movie crew things began to be packed back up into the vans. Araile sat beside Naruto as they drove into the cave, and darkness surrounded the van. She hopped onto the seats of the bench to stare out the windows with Naruto, gold eyes trying to peer through the darkness.

She turned her gaze towards out Sandayu as he explained to Naruto about there being railroad tracks underneath the ice. Her heart began pumping in excitement as she sat back down on the bench with wide eyes to listen to Sandayu talk about the train and its tracks. First snow, and now a railroad with a train.

What was next? Bears with fireballs on their heads?

Finally, the vans broke through the darkness of the cave, much to Araile's relief and stopped beside a large snowy cliff. As Araile hopped out of the van, the assistant director ran up to the director in a panic.

Apparently Yukie had run again. Kakashi immediately took off with Team 7, and to her annoyance, told Araile to stay put. Araile scowled and sat on the step of the van, ears flat on her head. She wanted to go too! It wasn't fair. The 9 year old sighed and hopped off the step and set off in hopes of finding Sandayu.

Maybe he could entertain her until Kakashi got back.


	5. Chapter 5

Araile sighed as she kicked at the snow underneath her feet. It had only been an hour, but to the 9 year old it seemed like an eternity. How far did the princess go anyways? She looked up at the sky as a flock of birds flew by, their chirps piercing through the air.

A sudden sound caught the girl's attention, and she turned her head towards the opening of the cave, ears twitching. It sounded like someone was screaming. Araile jogged over to the cave but stopped short when the ice underneath her feet began to melt. She watched with wide eyes as the movie crew began to notice the ice as well, and spoke to each other in confused voices.

"Everyone get back!" Sandayu yelled, and Araile managed to scramble back and fall onto her stomach before Naruto, the princess, and a giant train came screaming through.

She squeezed her eyes and covered her ears as the loud train came to a screeching halt in front of them. Araile then got up from the ground and walked up to the train, gold eyes wide. She had never seen something so big and shiny before! She inched closer to the side of the train, but jumped back in surprise when the side opened and revealed a large amount of weapons. The hair on the back of her neck rose when she heard Sandayu behind her.

Araile turned around to see Sandayu standing there on the opposite hill, dressed in some sort of battle garb. He turned to shout something behind him, and Araile gasped when she saw men standing behind Sandayu. When did they get there? They weren't there before!

Araile gazed at the group of men in confusion. What were they going to do? The group of men gave a loud battle cry and began running down the snowy hillside, weapons raised. Before she could blink, the weapons on the train were unleashed, and flew towards the men in a cloud of glinting metal. The 9 year old watched with wide eyes as the men were impaled with multiple kunai, many falling to the ground. Blood splattered along the snow, dying the pristine white a deep red. She had never seen anyone killed in front of her before, and it churned her stomach. She picked her way over to Sandayu as he struggled to get up, multiple kunai sticking out of the kind man.

"Sandayu? Are you okay?" Araile whimpered as the man struggled to stand up.

The man grimaced and opened his mouth to speak, but a thunderous ' _BOOM_ ' interrupted as another round of kunai were shot and hurtled towards them. Araile squeezed her eyes shut in fear and waited for the pain to come, but none came as the weapons were deflected by others. She hesitantly opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief, but the sigh turned into a cry when Sandayu fell back onto the snow, blood oozing from his wounds. She fell to her knees beside him and pulled on his clothes.

"Sandayu! Get up!" Araile cried as she tried to rouse the man, but it was no use.

She felt a hand on top of her head and flinched, expecting it to be the enemy. She relaxed when she turned to see Kakashi standing behind her, a sorrowful look in his visible eye. Araile got up and watched as her caretaker and some of the movie crew carried her friend on a stretcher down the hill. She hesitantly walked behind them as Naruto and Yukie came closer. Sandayu coughed and choked on his blood as he begged his princess not to cry over him, and Araile felt her own lip quivering as the man breathed his last.

She ran over to Sakura who was standing beside Yukie and hugged Sakura, letting her tears fall. Sandayu was her friend, and now he was gone. Sakura placed a gentle hand on the crying girl's shoulder, trying to give her comfort. Araile wiped her eyes as she turned away from the genin she looked to as a sister to stand beside Naruto as he gazed at the kind older man's body. She glared at Yukie as the actress stood there, not shedding a tear.

She opened her mouth to say something, but yelped when a steel cable wrapped itself both around her and Yukie. It pulled them tightly together and flung the two girls into the air. Araile squirmed as the cable tightened around her, trying to free herself. Her eyes widened when the cable ended in a large flying piece of metal in the sky. It looked like a piece of the train from the ground, but with wings. Fear grasped the young girl tightly as they were flung into a darkened room inside, and she felt hands rip her from Yukie.

Araile screamed and kicked out in fear, and was rewarded with a grunt. She continued kicking out and screaming, hoping to catch someone else. She wanted to get out desperately and go back to Kakashi and Team 7, but also wanted to save Yukie…even though she was spoiled and not very nice. She felt more hands grab her, and struggled against them with renewed effort.

"Let go of me! Let me go!" she shouted, struggling against the hands.

Something smashed at the back of her neck, and with a yelp Araile fell to the ground. The unconscious 9 year old lay on the cold ground as one of the three goons from the glacier came up behind her. The woman looked at the child with a scowl and picked her up by her shirt collar.

"Such a pain for a little thing" the woman muttered and walked out the chamber with an unconscious Araile in tow.

"Who do you have there Fubuki?" a deep voice asked the woman as she entered another room.

"We picked up something extra" the woman-Fubuki-said and tossed Araile onto the floor in front of her boss.

Doto, the Lord of Snow's brother, glanced at the child with interest. This day just became interesting for the older man.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is the next instalment. This one is for you Emzy2k11 and everyone who favourited and followed this little story. I hope you all enjoy!**

Groaning, Araile opened her eyes slowly. She lifted her head and gazed around, taking in the room she was in. It seemed like it was in the centre of the airship, with a control centre at the front. Blinking, she looked down to see she was on some sort of bench seat, with her hands cuffed to a metal chain that was connected to a metal link beside the window. She tugged on the chain with all her might, but it was too strong and thick for the 9 year old to break.

Her head pounded and Araile swallowed back the bile that rose in her throat. What happened? One minute she was fighting to get out of this airship, and the next she was here in this strange room.

Fear settled as a cold pit in her stomach as she continued to look around. She had to get out of here….but how? A deep chuckle interrupted her thoughts, and her gaze snapped towards a tall man standing in front of her. His slicked back hair and cold eyes reminded her of a snake, and her ears lowered flat against her head as he took a step closer.

"Get away from me!" Araile growled out, pressing herself closer to the wall.

The man laughed out loud this time, sending chills running up and down the girl's spine. She narrowed her eyes and tugged at her chains again, intent on breaking them. The man gazed at the struggling child with mild amusement as she struggled.

"You may call me Doto, and I wouldn't suggest trying to break those chains. They are much too thick and strong for a pipsqueak like you" Doto said with a smirk.

Araile glared at the older man and defiantly tugged on the chains again. She wouldn't listen to this man! She had to get back to Kakashi and the others no matter what it took. Doto watched Araile continuously pull and tug with a smirk, and finally the 9 year old fell back against the cushion. He was right; the chains were too strong for her.

"Now that you have finished your little game, I can continue with my plans" he said, and raised a hand towards her head.

Araile snapped at his hand with her teeth and barely missed it, and Doto pulled his hand back with a surprised grunt, looking at her with disgust. The 9 year old glared back, eyes daring him to try anything more. She blinked in surprise when Doto burst out laughing.

"Aren't you a little fierce thing" he said as he continued laughing.

Araile continued glaring at him and pressed herself more against the wall.

"Where are we going?" she bit out.

"Don't worry my dear. We are just going to take a little ride with the princess" he said, gesturing towards someone who was sitting on the opposite bench seat.

Araile looked, and her eyes widened in surprise when she was Yukie sitting there calmly. She let out a confused noise when she saw how happy Doto became once Yukie handed over her necklace. All of this for a necklace? Suddenly, his face became stormy, and anger came off of him in waves. He raised a hand towards the young woman, and Araile cried out, expecting the worst but stopped when a loud sound echoed through the room.

"Naruto?" she asked when she saw her friend appear.

Doto scoffed at the young genin, and in a matter of seconds Naruto was covered in sticky-like rope. Araile struggled more against her restraints as she watched her friend being carried off.

"Naruto! Don't touch him! Let him go" she cried out.

Her gold eyes widened when Doto walked up to her seat, and her ears pressed flat against her head as a growl vibrated from her chest. She flinched and squeezed her eyes shut when Doto reached his hand over her head, expecting a painful hit to come, but opened her eyes when none came. She looked up when Doto unlocked the chains from its metal hoop.

"Now, my dear. Let's watch the theatrics from the best seat in the house" he said, and tugged hard on the end of her chains.

Araile stumbled from the force and landed on her hands and knees. Her ear twitched when she heard Doto snort, and the pull of the chain forced the 9 year old to her feet. The frightened girl watched as Doto sent Yukie away with some guards, the anger still coming off of him.

"Where are you taking them? You better not have hurt them!" Araile bit out as she struggled again.

"Silence you insignificant whelp! I will not hear any more whining from you" Doto shouted, and in a blink of an eye released the chains and sent a punch straight into Araile's head.

The force sent the girl flying through the room, and she hit the wall with a loud ' _thud_ '. She slid down in a crumpled heap. Through the ringing in her ears, Araile heard Doto give orders and his footsteps walked away. She could feel blood dripping down the side of her neck from the impact, and struggled to stand on shaking legs. Her eyes widened when she saw that her chains were no longer being held, and she inched her way back from Doto, who was turned in the opposite direction.

Doto snapped his fingers, and a large ninja dropped from the ceiling and grabbed a hold of Araile's chains. She yelped in surprise when the ninja appeared in front of her and scrambled back.

"We can't have you going so soon" Doto mused as he turned around, gazing at the struggling child.

Araile growled through clenched teeth as she struggled against the ninja who was pulling her towards Doto. She had to get free and get out of here!

"Lemme go! Lemme go!" the child shouted out.

Doto looked down at the frightened 9 year old with a large smirk on his face. He was going to use this child to get what he wanted, and what he wanted was the real hex crystal. Oh yes, this quivering girl would do just fine.


	7. Chapter 7

Araile gazed around anxiously as Doto watched the scenery below from above. She tugged the chains that began to cinch her wrists, and the ninja who held the ends of the chain scoffed at her. She bit her lip as the metal cut into her wrist. Blood began to well from her wrists from the constant tugging and dripped down onto the floor. Her ears twitched as Doto began to mutter to himself, and began pacing back and forth.

This guy was nuts! All this death and killing for some jewellery?

Araile shook her head as thoughts swirled around in her head. Her head snapped up when Doto sat down heavily against his chair. His brow furrowed in thought, and his eyes snapped to the frightened 9 year old standing in front of him. A smile slowly crept over his face, and Araile glared back defiantly. He raised a hand, and the ninja obediently handed him the ends of the chains. He grasped the ends and gave them a sudden tug, sending Araile stumbling forward. She stumbled towards his chair, and Doto leaned towards her, a grin lighting up his face.

"You, my dear, will help me with my goal" he said.

"H-how?" Araile said, trying not to show her fear towards this crazy man.

Ninja didn't show emotion, but right now it was incredibly hard not to show how scared she was feeling. Unfortunately the little stutter slipped out, and Doto grinned. This was exactly how he wanted her to be: scared and defenceless.

"Well you see I need something that someone you know very well took from me. So, I will be having a little trade. You for the hex crystal. Quite simple really" he said, leaning back against the back of his seat.

He let out a loud laugh as he waved his hand, and the ninja took the chains and pulled her back. She pulled and tugged against the restraints, and a cold pit settled in her stomach. Her cries of " _let me go!_ " echoed through the airship as the ninja led her away. A door opened and the ninja led her through. He attached the ends of the chains to a metal hoop, and walked away with a loud chuckle. Araile tugged and heaved with all her might, but once again she was too weak. She sat down and leaned against a pillar beside her, pulling her knees up close to her chest. Hot tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, and she hastily wiped them away.

 _Ninja don't show any emotions._

Araile leaned her head against her knees, rocking back and forth slowly. Her lip quivered as more tears slid down her eyes. The chains clinked together loudly, and her shoulders began to shake.

 _Ninja don't show any emotion._

Finally the sobs came, and the walls echoed with the 9 year olds wailing. Her wrists hurt, her head hurt, everything hurt. The cold from the floor began to seep into her clothes, adding to the fuel for her sobbing. She just wanted to go back to Kakashi. The sobs after a while reduced to hiccups, and with red and shiny eyes the child looked around, taking in her surroundings. The cold began to set in, and Araile began to shiver. It seemed like she would stay here forever. No one would come and find her.

Her ears twitched when the door slid open and Doto walked through, followed by numerous ninja guards. He glanced down at the shivering child with an amused glint in his eyes.

"It's time my dear child. We will land in a couple minutes, and we must be prepared" he said.

Doto walked over to Araile and unclipped the chains, tugging her up off the ground. She stumbled, but quickly regained her footing as the man dragged the sorrowful child behind him. Doto continued walking down the winding hallways until he entered a large doorway. Araile felt a ' _thump_ ' underneath her feet, and when the door slid opened her gold eyes widened. They were in front of a large castle entrance, and Doto continued walking forward. Araile had no choice but to follow as he and his ninja guards entered the large castle.

Araile looked around with an open mouth and wide eyes, her sorrow momentarily forgotten. This place was huge! She stopped to gaze at an ornately designed window, but was snapped out of it when her wrists were tugged hard. She let out a loud cry as she fell onto her hands and knees, and the ninja guards laughed loudly as the child hastily got back on her feet, gold eyes glaring at them.

"Now, my dear child. Let's wait for our friends shall we?" Doto said before walking towards a large throne.

Araile continued gazing around the large room as she was forced to follow Doto. How would Kakashi and Team 7 rescue her and Yukie and Naruto in a place like this? Her ears lowered at the thought, and dread settled in her stomach. Doto sat down with a confident sigh and indicated for the child to sit down beside him.

In a final act of defiance, Araile shook her head and tried to pull away. If only she could just get away from here! A growl could be heard from the man as he jerked the restraints hard, sending the 9 year old sprawling forward.

"The ninja won't come for you. They've probably run back to their little pathetic village and left you here all alone" he mused, watching Araile scramble to her feet.

"You're wrong! They'll come...I know it" she said, the last part coming out in a whisper.

Her shoulders shook as Doto let out a loud laugh. She sat down slowly and leaned her back against the cold stone wall. They would come for her...wouldn't they? Araile pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"You don't even believe it yourself" he said from his throne as he watched the child break down in front of him.

This was almost too easy for him! A couple choice words and this child was crumbling to nothing right in front of him. With a snort, he turned back to wait for the real hex crystal to come. With any luck it would be soon if this child was of any importance to the Konoha ninja.

He scoffed as he heard whimpering from the child sitting beneath his throne. What a baby.

A sudden rumbling caught everyone's attention. Araile's head snapped up, her gold eyes rimmed in red from crying. Doto gritted his teeth as the castle shook around him, but an idea suddenly came to him as Araile got to her feet, eyes shining in hope. He reached over and grabbed the back of her shirt, clenching it in his large fist. The castle shook as the child struggled against his grip, the chains rattling loudly.


	8. Chapter 8

**The last chapter! Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed this little fanfiction. TheLightFairyHearts thank you for suggesting this in the first place :) For some reason it didn't show your reviews on my end but I did get the emails. Thank you for your amazing reviews 3 Emzky2k11 thank you for your amazing reviews. You're so sweet and kept me motivated to continue. I hope you enjoy the last chapter!**

Doto smiled in evil glee as the castle continued to rock and shake. A ninja came running and kneeled down before Doto, saying they were under attack. Araile's ears twitched when she heard the sounds of battles raging outside and inside the castle. She struggled to get out of Doto's grip as she heard him mutter her caretaker's name. He snapped his fingers, and a ninja appeared in front of her. He hastily removed the metal cuffs around her wrists and then disappeared in a flash.

The 9 year old immediately felt relief, but bit her lip as pain flared around her cut wrists. Her ears lowered when Doto's grip on her shirt tightened. More explosions echoed all around them, and Araile struggled even more.

She had to get out of here and find Kakashi!

Doto smirked as the struggling child continued. The lights suddenly turned off and Araile looked around, confused. A fast series of footsteps caught her attention, and her heart leapt into her throat when she saw her friends, Yukie and her beloved caretaker run into the large room.

She opened her mouth, but a hand squeezed the back of her neck in silent warning: make a sound and you'll regret it. She clamped her mouth shut, and the hand moved itself to her shoulder and squeezed painfully. The lights suddenly turned on, making Araile blink against the brightness. Her ears twitched when Doto let out a loud chuckle and stood up. She took a step forward with the intent of breaking free, but the hand on her shoulder squeezed hard again, causing a squeak of pain to come from the 9 year old.

"Well my dear girl, shall we say well done to our princess?" Doto mused as he glanced down at Araile.

She glared back, but her head snapped to Yukie when she ran forward. Her eyes widened when Kakashi ran after her, but was stopped by the three ninja from before. A small growl rose from the girl's chest. Those three were from the glacier! She struggled to break free again, and Doto squeezed the back of her neck hard. Yukie ran to Doto and without a blink of an eye handed him the crystal.

"But…why?" Araile asked in a small voice, gazing at Yukie in confusion.

The older woman scoffed at Araile and declared herself an actress. The 9 year olds ears flattened on her head in anger as Doto held onto the hex crystal in glee. A sudden movement caused Araile to jerk back as Doto still had an iron gasp on her shoulder. Yukie struck fast and managed to stab Doto in the side with Sandayu's knife, and Araile blinked in confusion. She didn't even know Yukie had the knife!

Doto let out a grunt, and Araile quickly wiggled around and, putting all of her 9 year old strength in her jaws, sunk her teeth into his hand. Doto released Araile with a small yell and with his free hand, back-handed the girl. Araile yelped as she flew from his grasp and hit the ground below the throne with a ' _thud_ '. Her ears rang as she struggled to her feet, and something warm trickled down the back of her neck. Her ears twitched when she heard Naruto call out her name, and she looked behind her to see Doto standing there behind her, Yukie in his grasp. He had removed his robes and was now wearing a metal suit similar to the other 3 ninja.

"As much as I would love to let you go to your pathetic friends, I require more of you help my dear" Doto drawled out, reaching out towards her.

Araile ducked and spun around to run back to Team 7, but Doto grasped the back of her shirt in a fight fist. He reined her in, ignoring the " _let me go!_ " that the 9 year old was shouting. He held her tightly to his side, but with all her squirming Doto in the end picked her up by her stomach and held her like a sack of potatoes. His metal wings unfurled, and Araile's heart sank when he pushed off and flew high in the air. A chuckle made her look down, and gasped happily when she saw Naruto hanging from Doto from a rope.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed and the genin grinned at her.

A glint caught her eye, and Araile turned to see one of the 3 ninja flying towards them. She opened her mouth to yell out and warn him but it was too late as the side of the ninja's wing caught and sliced Naruto's rope, sending him plummeting towards the ground.

"NARUTO!" both her and Yukie screamed out.

Araile renewed her struggling to free herself from Doto's grasp. She had to see if Naruto was okay! Doto glared down at the squirming girl and squeezed her waist tightly, earning him a choking wheeze. Finally they made it to his destination, and he dropped the girls onto the snow. Araile struggled to stand as she held a hand to her ribs. Doto began to walk calmly towards Yukie, and the young woman staggered back. Araile quickly jumped in front of Yukie with her arms straight out.

"Don't touch her" she growled, the fur on her tail bristling.

Doto let out a loud laugh, and before Araile could react he sent a hard punch straight to the 9 year olds jaw. She landed in the snow and skidded a few feet before coming to a stop. A sound caught her attention, and Araile lifted herself off the snow to see Naruto running towards them, deadly intent in his bright eyes. She scurried over to Yukie, who sat on the ground in fear.

"Come on, we have to get away from here" Araile said to the actress.

Yukie gazed at Araile and nodded slowly, and the 9 year old helped the princess up off the snow. They slowly moved away as Naruto and Doto fought hard. Hearing Yukie gasp, Araile's head snapped up and her mouth opened in shock. Naruto had…rainbow chakra? She didn't know they could change colours! With a yell, Naruto sent Doto flying into one of the large rocks that stood behind them, effectively cracking it. Araile stood up with a confused look as the rocks began to shine in different colours.

"Pretty…" she murmured as she continued watching the lights flicker and change.

Suddenly a wave of heat rushed past her, making the 9 year old fall back with her eyes squeezed shut. Her eyes opened in confusion when she felt grass underneath her hands instead of snow. Her mouth opened in amazement when she saw flowers upon flowers all around her, and a warm breeze lifted strands of her hair. Giggling, she tamed back her hair and a loud voice suddenly sounded behind her. Yelping in surprise, she turned around to see a massive projection of a man with kind eyes looking at a young child.

"Hey! That's you!" Araile said as she gazed at Yukie sitting behind her.

Yukie was staring at the projection with amazement, and tears began trickling down from her eyes. A light laugh burst from the actress's chest, and Araile smiled in happiness. She then turned and began running around the flowery hills, giggles loud in the air as she felt lighter than air. Doto was defeated, and Yukie was happy again. She found Naruto passed out flat on his back in the centre of a flowery meadow. With an impish smile Araile began to braid flowers in Naruto's hair, giggling to herself at her handiwork. A rustle and a sigh made her ears twitch, and she looked up to see her caretaker and Team 7 standing there. Araile immediately got up and flung herself at her friends, hugging the Jonin tightly around the waist. Her ears caught the sound of his small laugh, and Kakashi placed a hand on her head. She was finally back with Kakashi and Team 7! Araile had never felt so happy in her life.

After the ceremony of Yukie-now Koyuki-returning to the throne, the Konoha ninja started their journey home.

"Hey! Why do I have flowers in my hair?!" Naruto suddenly shouted, plucking the numerous flowers out of his hair.

Letting out a loud laugh Araile began running ahead, ears catching the sound of Naruto yelling and chasing after the 9 year old. Kakashi sighed at his charge as she weaved and dodged around the trees to get away from Naruto.

Who knew 9 year olds were so troublesome?


End file.
